Thursday August 1, 2019
I am blessed to have just begun a special vacation with two close friends, Stephanie & Giovanni. We will visit Lucca, Italy for the next two weeks. I will greatly miss Elizabeth who wasn’t able to make this trip. Thank goodness for WhatsApp and rampant, worldwide WiFi so we can stay closely in contact. We are leaving from Montreal to fly to Rome. When we arrive, we will rent a car to drive to Lucca, the hometown of epic Italian opera composer, Giacomo Puccini. Perhaps it is fitting that we drive to this town as Puccini loved his cars. Lucca will be our home base for 2 weeks while we explore the glorious Tuscany. I intend on savoring these moments as my inner pragmatic knows that tomorrow isn’t promised and these opportunities are precious.
Day 1: Overnight in Montreal before our Friday evening flight.
OBSERVATIONS
1. I have kilometers under the miles in my car. Who knew. 100k is 60 miles. Figuring out this ratio greatly challenges my feeble ciphering skills.
2. Canadian custom officers are tres scary. Ours sure was. No matter what question I answered, Officer Stoneface looked at me like the devil just came up from Georgia. No Midwest smiles for this American. Holy crime watcher, Batman.
3. If you’re hankering for some KFC in Montreal, check your acronyms. Our northernly pals call the Sander’s staple PFK.
4. We viewed a beautifully lit bridge, large illuminated ball, and Ferris wheel as we came into Montreal.
5. The city seems very modern compared to my Chicago hometown.
6. Signs are mostly in French.
7. Street lights are different shaped than the US; less round, more square.
8. The swiftness in which I become a night owl is startling. I am wide eyed and raring to go at the wee morning hour of 2:54am.
9. I pumped my own gas tonight. There was a tv screen on the pump. What the.
#akintsucrooner
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